Deterministic method and system for determining winners of scratch and win ticket contests and other numeric prize contests

ABSTRACT

A deterministic gaming method for a contest is presented. The method includes generating at least one or more mathematical problems to be solved by contestants. An announcement of the contest to potential contestants is provided. Instructions including the at least one or more mathematical problems and rules of play for the contest are provided to participating contestants. After a predetermined period of time, it is determined if one or more participating contestants has correctly solved the problem and is a winner. If there is no winner, the mathematical problems and rules of play for the contest are continued to be provided. The contest is stopped when one or more winners are determined. A prize is then distributed to the one or more winners. Also is presented is a system for the deterministic contest and contest tickets for use therein.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present Utility patent application claims priority benefit of the[U.S. provisional application for patent Ser. No. 60/846724 filed onSep. 22, 2006 under 35 U.S.C. 119(e).

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER LISTING APPENDIX

Not applicable.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office,patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rightswhatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to prize contests. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to a deterministic method ofoperating scratch and win ticket contests and other numeric prizecontests.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Existing prize contests utilizing scratch and win tickets determine theoutcome of their contests predominately via chance. A fixed number ofwinning tickets are generated and mixed randomly amongst a largercollection of non-winning tickets. Thus, the winners of the contest aredetermined by chance.

Their do exist scratch and win tickets in which every ticket is apotential winning ticket. However, these tickets do not allow thecontestants to exercise any skill in determining what portions of theticket to reveal to win the prize and hence the results of the contestare still determined by chance.

There are trivia based scratch and win tickets that ask contestants toanswer multiple choice questions in order to select the winning answerand win the ticket. Contestants can directly impact the outcome of thesecontests. However, trivia based contests are difficult to manage from anoperations standpoint and limit the contest operator's ability tocontrol the number of winners of the contest. Contestants canpotentially look up the answers to trivia questions and from a practicaland realistic standpoint almost every ticket could be won bycontestants. This limits the utility of such contests from a businessstandpoint.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a prize contest with anoutcome that is not determined only by chance for which the number ofwinners may be affected by the operators of the contest.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in whichlike reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

The present invention is best illustrated by way of example, and not byway of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and inwhich like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view and a back view of an exemplaryten-digit scratch and win ticket with a non-random winning number, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view and a back view of an exemplarynon-random scratch-off ticket with four possible choices, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view and a back view of an exemplarynon-random scratch-off ticket with two-digit sequences from which tochoose, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a front view and a back view of an exemplarynon-random scratch-off ticket with a grid system, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 illustrate exemplary non-random, grid type scratch-offtickets with varying digits and grid styles, in accordance withembodiments of the present invention. FIG. 5 illustrates a grid with thedigits zero through seven across the top of the grid and the digits zerothrough three down the side of the grid. FIG. 6 illustrates a ticketwith the digits two through nine across the top of the grid and thedigits zero through three down the side of the grid. FIG. 7 illustratesa ticket with the digits zero, two through five, and seven through nineacross the top of the grid and the digits zero through three down theside of the grid;

FIG. 8 illustrates a front view and a back view of an exemplarynon-random scratch-off ticket using a base sixteen scheme, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the generation of an exemplary contestwith combined lots, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of an exemplarynon-random, numeric contest, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of an exemplarycontest where the mathematical equation is a cryptographic algorithm inwhich the solution is an encoded string of letters and numbers, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process of theparticipation of a contestant in a non-random numeric contest, accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

Unless otherwise indicated, illustrations in the drawings are notnecessarily drawn to scale.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To achieve the forgoing and other objects and in accordance with thepurpose of the invention, a deterministic method and system fordetermining winners of scratch and win ticket contests and other numericprize contests along with contest tickets for use in these contests ispresented.

In one embodiment, a gaming method for a contest is presented. Themethod includes the steps of generating at least one or moremathematical problems to be solved by contestants, providing anannouncement of the contest to potential contestants, providinginstructions including the at least one or more mathematical problemsand rules of play for the contest to participating contestants,determining, after a predetermined period of time, if one or moreparticipating contestants has correctly solved the problem and is awinner, continuing to provide the at least one or more mathematicalproblems and rules of play for the contest in the absence of the winner,stopping the contest when one or more winners are determined, anddistributing a prize to the one or more winners. In another embodiment,the predetermined period of time is determined in part by a difficultyof solving the mathematical problem. In another embodiment the methodfurther includes the step of providing a means for solving the at leastone or more mathematical problems to the participating contestants. In afurther embodiment, the method includes the step of including a randomfactor in the instructions for modifying the playing of the contest. Inyet another embodiment, the method further includes the step ofincluding a random choice for the participating contestants. In anotherembodiment, the random choice determines a one of the mathematicalproblems the participating contestant is to solve. In anotherembodiment, the random choice, in part, determines a value of the prize.In still another embodiment the instructions are in part provided by acontest ticket. In another embodiment, the step of determining includesexamining contest tickets entered by participating contestants. In yetanother embodiment, the method further includes the step of selecting aduration for the contest. In another embodiment, the duration isincluded with the instructions. In another embodiment, the duration isin part selected by the complexity of the mathematical problem. In stillanother embodiment, the at least one or more mathematical problems is acryptographic algorithm and the generating includes encoding a cleartext message.

In another embodiment, a gaming system for a contest is presented. Thesystem includes a means for generating one or more mathematical typeproblems, a means for announcing the contest to potential contestants, ameans for providing the one or more mathematical problems and rules ofplay to participating contestants, a means for determining, after apredetermined period of time, if one or more participating contestantshas correctly solved the problem and is a winner, a means for continuingto provide the problem and rules in the absence of the winner, a meansfor stopping the contest when one or more winners are determined, and ameans for distributing a prize to the one or more winners. In anotherembodiment, the system further includes a means for including a randomfactor. In yet another embodiment, the system further includes a meansfor providing a means for solving the one or more mathematical problemsto the participating contestants. In another embodiment, the systemfurther includes a means for selecting a duration for the contest. In afurther embodiment, the system further includes a means for providingthe duration to the participating contestants.

In another embodiment, a method for generating a contest is presented.The method includes the steps of creating a plurality of mathematicalproblems to be solved, obtaining a predetermined number of contesttickets for each of the mathematical problems, the contest tickets beingshuffled and divided into a predetermined number of lots, anddistributing the lots for purchase by potential contestants.

In another embodiment, a system for generating a contest is presented.The system includes a means for creating a plurality of mathematicalproblems to be solved, a means for generating a predetermined number ofcontest tickets for each of the mathematical problems, a means forcombining, shuffling and dividing the contest tickets into apredetermined number of lots, and a means for distributing the lots forpurchase by potential contestants.

In yet another embodiment, a process for participating in a contest ispresented. The process includes the steps of obtaining a contest entrysolving at least one mathematical problem presented on the contestentry, displaying on the contest entry if a solution of the mathematicalproblem is correct, and submitting the contest entry for verification ifthe solution is correct. In another embodiment, the process furtherincludes the step of determining if a means for solving the mathematicalproblem is provided by the contest and using the method in solving themathematical problem. In another embodiment, the step of determiningfurther includes obtaining the method. In another embodiment, theobtaining of the method is accomplished in part using a computerconnection. In another embodiment, the obtaining of the method isaccomplished by purchase. In still another embodiment, the processfurther includes the step of choosing a random factor provided with thecontest entry. In another embodiment, the process further includes usinga random factor for effecting the play of the contest. In anotherembodiment, the contest entry is obtained by purchase of a contestticket.

A system for participating in a contest is presented in anotherembodiment. The system includes a means for obtaining a contest entry, ameans for solving at least one mathematical problem presented on thecontest entry, a means for displaying on the contest entry if a solutionof the mathematical problem is correct, and a means for submitting thecontest entry for verification if the solution is correct. In anotherembodiment, the system further includes a means for obtaining a methodfor solving the at least one mathematical problem. In still anotherembodiment, the system further includes a means for providing a randomfactor.

In another embodiment, a contest ticket for a deterministic game play ispresented. The ticket includes a first side including indicia providinginstructions with at least one mathematical problem to be solved and asecond side comprising indicia providing a plurality of solutions to themathematical problem including at least one correct solution to themathematical problem and a means for indicating the one correct solutionwhen the one correct solution is selected. In another embodiment, theplurality of solutions is arranged in a gird. In another embodiment, oneof or both of the first side and the second side includes a randomfactor. The random factor is selectable in another embodiment. In yetanother embodiment, the ticket further includes a method for solving theat least one mathematical problem.

Other features, advantages, and object of the present invention willbecome more apparent and be more readily understood from the followingdetailed description, which should be read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is best understood by reference to the detailedfigures and description set forth herein.

Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to theFigures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate thatthe detailed description given herein with respect to these figures isfor explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limitedembodiments. For example, it should be appreciated that those skilled inthe art will, in light of the teachings of the present invention,recognized a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches,depending upon the needs of the particular application, to implement thefunctionality of any given detail described herein, beyond theparticular implementation choices in the following embodiments describedand shown. That is, there are numerous modifications and variations ofthe invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all lit withinthe scope of the invention. Also, singular words should be read asplural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa, whereappropriate, and alternatives embodiments do not necessarily imply thatthe two are mutually exclusive.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference toembodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is a method for usingnon-random numbers solvable by contest contestants as the winningnumbers for scratch and win tickets as well as any other prize contestwhere the winner of the contest is determined by a numeric value suchas, but not limited to, raffles, lotteries, bingo games, math contests,calculator races, sudoku, magic square contests, sweepstakes, scratchand win prize promotions, on-line numeric contest sites

In the preferred embodiment, the winning number for a contest iscomputed in advance of the contest as a digit or a sequence of digitsselected from the computation of a solution to a complex mathematicalequation. Contestants are asked to provide these digits to win thecontest. Any contestant providing the correct sequence of digits isdeclared a winner and shares in the contest prize. The computation ofthese numbers is non-trivial and may require contestants to utilizecomputers to compute the solution to the problem over a period of timeto arrive at the correct winning number. Contest operators may influencethe difficulty of the contest by controlling the time needed to computethe answer and the number of computers needed to compute the answer. Theequations to be solved in preferred embodiments are well-knownmathematical equations taken from well-known published mathematicalmaterial and widely available to the general public. However, inalternate embodiments, the contestants may be required to derive theequations on their own. In the preferred embodiment, all contestants areprovided full details and rules of any contests.

The winning outcomes of contests according to embodiments of the presentinvention are predetermined and there is no chance involved in thecalculation of the answers. However, because of the difficulty ofcomputing the solution, it is still challenging to individualcontestants. An extremely simple example of a contest according to anembodiment of the present invention is to ask a contestant to providethe third digit of the irrational number PI. A slightly more involvedexample that would require the use of a computer would be to ask acontestant for the 12^(th) million digit of PI. If a contestant respondswith the correct number, they win the contest.

A benefit of embodiments of the present invention is that cheating isminimized because even though the question is known in advance, thesolution is difficult to compute and takes time to calculate. Inaddition, full transparency of contest details may be shared amongst allcontestants with no impact on the quality of the game-play in thecontest. This results in a difficult but fair contest.

Some embodiments of contests involve scratch and win tickets. FIG. 1illustrates a front view and a back view of an exemplary ten-digitscratch and win ticket with a non-random winning number, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment,tickets are issued where each ticket has the digits 0 through 9 on afront side 101 with a scratch-off section 110 beneath each digit. Frontside 101 indicates to the contestant that the instructions for thecontest are located on a back side 105 of the ticket. Alternateembodiments may not indicate this to the contestant. Back side 105presents a difficult to compute mathematical problem that requires acomputationally long time to compute and instructions for the contest.The example shown in FIG. 1 instructs the contestant to scratch off thedigit that is the 12^(th) millionth digit of the square root of 3 towin. To win, a contestant must scratch off the scratch-off section 110next to the digit on front side 101 that is the answer to themathematical question printed on back side 105. Those skilled in theart, in light of the present teachings will recognize that scratch-offsections 110 may be placed in various locations of the ticket, forexample, without limitation; the scratch-off material may be locateddirectly beneath the digits, or the digits may be printed into thescratch-off material.

In the present embodiment, the correct digit has the word “Winner”beneath scratch-off section 110 corresponding to the correct digit. Allother scratch-off sections 110 have an indication that the answer iswrong such as, but not limited to, the word “void” or “wrong” printedbeneath the scratch-off material. Other words or symbols may be used toindicate that the contestant did not win such as, but not limited to,“sorry, try again”, an X, etc. Similarly, other words or symbols may beused to indicate that the contestant has won such as, but not limited to“congratulations”, a checkmark, a star, etc. The present embodimentenables the contestant to determine at any time if they have the correctanswer to the question on back side 105 of the ticket. Other benefits ofthis embodiment are that the skill of the contestant generallydetermines the outcome of the contest.

Tickets expire after a limited period of time to minimize cheating andprovide impetus to solve the contest question. The time limit is also aportion of the entertainment value. In the present embodiment anexpiration date 115 is printed on front side 101. In alternateembodiments, expiration date 115 may be printed on back side 105.Contest operators may adjust the length of time that a ticket is validin order to alter the difficulty of play of the contest. For example,without limitation, tickets with a math problem that takes a typicalcomputer one week to solve may be good for three weeks. This is anexample of a slow-paced contest. Another non-limiting example is aticket with a math problem that can be solved in one day where theticket expires in two days. This is an example of a relativelyfast-paced contest. A third non-limiting example is a ticket with a mathproblem that can be solved in two weeks where the ticket expires in twoweeks and one day. This is a relatively restricted game in whichcontestants who did not buy tickets on the first day generally have nochance of winning the contest.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view and a back view of an exemplarynon-random scratch-off ticket with four possible choices, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention. Having fewer digits tochoose from generally makes the contest relatively easier than theembodiment shown by way of example in FIG. 1 as the answer must be oneof the displayed digits. The present embodiment is easier to solve andmay be offered as an easier game to contestants. Various embodiments mayprovide the contestant with varying amounts of choices in order toincrease or decrease the difficulty level of the contest.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view and a back view of an exemplarynon-random scratch-off ticket with two-digit sequences from which tochoose, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Thenumber of digits on the front of the ticket need not be limited to tendigits. In some embodiments the ticket may have sequences of two orthree digit numbers or longer sequences. For example, withoutlimitation, in the present embodiment, ten two-digit sequences appear onthe front of the ticket with scratch-off sections next to thesesequences. One of the two-digit sequences is the answer to the questionon the back of the ticket, which is a mathematical question requesting atwo-digit numeric solution to a computational series. On some ticketsthe answer may be a two-digit sequence as in the example question shownin the figure; “scratch-off the 12^(th) millionth digit and next digitof the square root of 3.” However, on alternate tickets the answer maybe a two-digit number. For example, without limitation, the answer to“what is the square root of 625” is 25. In the present embodiment, thecorrect two-digit number or sequence has the word “Winner” writtenbeneath the scratch-off material. All other sections reveal the word“wrong”. Those skilled in the art, in light of the present teachings,will recognize that various other words or symbols may be used under thescratch-off sections to indicate whether or not the chosen answer iscorrect or incorrect.

FIG. 4 illustrates a front view and a back view of an exemplarynon-random scratch-off ticket with a grid system, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a gridis presented on the front of the ticket with the digits zero throughnine across the top and the digits zero through three down one side ofthe grid. The problem on the back is once again a two-digit number orsequence. In the present embodiment, the row across the top representsthe second digit in the sequence, and the digits down the side representthe first digit in the sequence. In alternate embodiments, the rowacross the top may represent the first digit in the sequence, and thecolumn down the side may represent the second digit in the sequence. Inthe present embodiment, scratch-off material is placed throughout thegrid with all sections except the correct row column intersectionrevealing the word ‘wrong’. The scratch section at the intersection ofthe correct digits reveals the word ‘winner’. As previously described,other words or symbols may be used to indicate whether the chosen answeris right or wrong in alternate embodiments. The digits across the topneed not have all ten digits and the digits down the side could be anynumber of the digits zero through nine, as shown by way of example inFIGS. 5 through 7.

FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 illustrate exemplary non-random, grid type scratch-offtickets with varying digits and grid styles, in accordance withembodiments of the present invention. FIG. 5 illustrates a grid with thedigits zero through seven across the top of the grid and the digits zerothrough three down the side of the grid. FIG. 6 illustrates a ticketwith the digits two through nine across the top of the grid and thedigits zero through three down the side of the grid. FIG. 7 illustratesa ticket with the digits zero, two through five, and seven through nineacross the top of the grid and the digits zero through three down theside of the grid. In the embodiment shown by way of example in FIG. 7,the grid has blank spaces in the areas where the digits that are notincluded would have been.

In some alternate embodiments, the digits used need not be in a base tenmathematical scheme. Any suitable base number system may be implementeddepending up on the needs of the particular application. By way offurther example, FIG. 8 illustrates a front view and a back view of anexemplary non-random scratch-off ticket using a base sixteen scheme, inaccordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention. In thepresent embodiment, digits are represented by the numbers zero throughnine and the letters a through f. For example, without limitation, theletters a through f may appear on the front of the card with thequestion on the back asking for the base 16 answer to the mathematicalproblem where the answer is a value between ten and fifteen. In thepresent embodiment, the entire sequence for the mathematical problem iscomputed in base sixteen. This involves relatively sophisticatedmathematics on the part of the contestant.

In an alternative embodiment the mathematical equations may be computedin base 36. This allows for a sequence of digits consisting of allEnglish letters and numeric digits to be included in the sequence ofanswers. In the present embodiment, computational answers to themathematical question would need to be performed in base 36. Base 36enable sequences of answers such as, but not limited to, ‘laghyx23’.This allows for an extremely large space for potential answers andincreases the opportunity for contestants to try alternativecomputational methods. Using base 36 enables answers to the equations tobe readable words rather than just numeric sequences.

In some embodiments every ticket in the contest has a uniquemathematical question on the back such that every answer on every ticketis different from every other ticket. This embodiment ensures thatsolving one ticket is not of benefit in solving another ticket. In otherembodiments a fixed number of tickets with the same problem to be solvedis printed and distributed. For example, without limitation, 1000tickets with the same problem are printed and distributed tocontestants. In this embodiment the contest operators may indicate thatthe first ten contestants to compute the correct answer will win theprize, and all others will not win. This can be used as an entertainmentincentive to increase pressure on the contestants. This also has thenegative side effect of increasing the ability of contestants to cheatsince the same contestant may solve the problem once and scratch offmultiple tickets for multiple prizes. However the present embodiment maybe useful for fast-paced contests such as, but not limited to, short runcontests or on-site single day contests.

In another embodiment a random number of tickets with the same equationto be solved are generated, and winners are limited to a fixedpercentage of printed tickets. For example, without limitation, 10% ofthe number of printed tickets may claim a prize even if all contestantsanswered the problem correctly. For example, without limitation, thenumber 200 is chosen at random and 200 tickets are printed with the sameproblem. In the present example, only the first 20 contestants with thecorrect answer may claim the prize. This particular embodiment is usefulin conjunction with multiple lots of tickets as described by way ofexample in conjunction with FIG. 9. The percentage of winners in thisembodiment is set by the contest operators to control the number ofwinners. In alternate embodiments a fixed number of winners may be setto win a random lot generation.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the generation of an exemplary contestwith combined lots, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. The present embodiment comprises lots of tickets where eachindividual lot has the same equation to be solved. The lots aregenerated using one of the two previous methods, the generation of aspecific sized lot or a random lot generation. Using the random lotgeneration method reduces cheating between lots. This tends to reducecheating as it is generally more difficult for contest entrants tocalculate which lots and how many lots will share the same contestquestions since the random lot generation makes it impossible to predicthow many and how often a specific math problem will appear in the samebank of tickets. Each lot has a different problem than every other lotin the total collection. In the example shown in FIG. 9, three mathproblems are created. For example, without limitation, problem one mayask for the 1000th digit of PI, problem two may ask for the 128th digitof PI, and problem three may ask for the 36th millionth digit of PI.Then, lots of 1000 tickets are generated for each of the math problems.All generated tickets are then shuffled and mixed in a further step toreduce cheating amongst contest contestants. The combined lot is thensplit into mixed lots. In the present example, the combined lot isseparated into three mixed lots. These mixed lots are then given toretailers who sell them to contestants. In the present embodiment, theoperators of the contest determine how many winners are allowed in thecontest. There are various ways to set this amount, for example, withoutlimitation, only the first correct answer may win, a percentage of thecombined lot may win, all correct answers submitted within a specifiedtime may win, every other correct answers may win, the tenth correctanswer may win, only a single winner from each retail outlet may win,etc.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of an exemplarynon-random numeric contest, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention. In the present embodiment, the process begins at step1001 where a math problem is generated. In step 1005, the contest isannounced. The contest can be announced in television, radio, or printads or with signs posted at the retailers who are selling the tickets.Also, it is contemplated that the contest may be announced via Internetads, e-mails to contestants, SMS messages, flyers mailed to houses,billboards, and other mechanism regularly used to reach potentialconsumers. Contestants enter the contest in step 1010 by purchasingtickets. In alternate embodiments, contestants may enter the contest invarious other methods such as, but not limited to, mailing in an entryform or entering over the Internet. In these embodiments, if scratch-offtickets are used, the contest operators mail the tickets to thecontestants who are entered or the contestants may pick up the ticketsat an operation location. Contestants may also enter the contests bysending numeric answers using SMS messages via cell phone, also IRQchat, instant messages on-line, e-mail entry, regular phone call, ortelegram. Then in step 1015 of the present embodiment, the operators ofthe contest decide if it is time to check for winners. If it is not timeto check for winners, the process returns to step 1010 so that morecontestants may enter. If it is time to check for winners, the operatorsof the contest check for winners in step 1020. If there are no winners,the operators of the contest announce that there were no winners in step1025, and the process returns to step 1010 so that more contestants mayenter. If there are winners at step 1020, the operators of the contestannounce the winners in step 1030. In step 1035, the winners are paid.In step 1040 a new contest is started and the process returns to step1001 so that a new math problem can be generated.

In a non-limiting example illustrating the process shown by way ofexample in FIG. 10, the answer is a sequence of digits from an extremelydifficult to solve mathematical problem that may take multiple months tosolve. Any number of contestants may enter the contest and attempt tosolve the same mathematical problem. The prize money is awarded to thefirst contestant to arrive at the correct sequence of digits. Thecontest remains open to new contestants until a contestant wins thecontest. In the event of multiple contestants providing the correctanswer on the same day, the prize is split equally amongst them. In thepresent embodiment, a portion of contest entrance fees are added to theprize pool with every entry. In alternate embodiments, the prize poolmay be provided entirely by the contest operators.

The number of digits in the answer sequence is adjustable by contestoperators to adjust the difficulty of computing the answer to thequestion. For example, without limitation, a sequence of two digits iseasier to compute than a sequence often digits. The amount of timeneeded to compute the solution can also be adjusted by the contestoperators in order to adjust the difficulty of the contest and to alterboth the prize amount paid and the game play pressure on the contestentrants. For example, without limitation, a contest in which the answercan be computed in one month would encourage a faster game-play fromcontest entrants while one that took six months to compute would reduceurgency and encourage more contestants to play. Longer contests may alsoentail larger prize sums.

In an alternate embodiment, winning contestants may be determined atdifferent rates. For example, without limitation, the contest rules maystate that all correct answers submitted within the same week win theprize. Alternatively, the contest rules may state that all correctanswers submitted within the same day share the prize or only allcorrect answers submitted within the same second share the prize. Thiscan be used by the contest operators to adjust the number of winners ofan individual contest. For example, without limitation, a contestoperated where winners that submitted their answers within the same weekwin the prize has the potential to yield a large number of winners.However, a contest in which only winners who answer correctly within thesame second share the prize is likely to have a small number ofcontestants who win and share the prize.

In embodiments where contest fees make up part of the prize pool, theportion of contest fees that are added to the prize pool may be alteredin order to increase or decrease the size of the prize over the durationof the contest. For example, without limitation, in some embodiments,10% of the entrance fee may go into the prize jackpot. This would yielda slowly growing jackpot. In alternative embodiments, 95% of all feesmay go into the prize jackpot, and this would yield a quickly growingprize payout and much larger prize pools. In alternate embodimentscontest fees may make up the entire prize pool, and in otherembodiments, contest fees may not be included in the prize pool. In yetother alternate embodiments, there may be no contest fees. Theseembodiments may be useful for situations such as, but not limited to,promotional campaigns.

In another alternate embodiment, the preceding contest may be alteredsuch that a prize can be awarded for getting the correct digits in anyorder. For example, without limitation, if the correct digit sequence is123, any of the following sequences would also win a prize: 213, 231,132, 312, and 321. In the present embodiment, the largest prize may bereserved for the correct sequence of digits 123, or the prize may besplit equally between all of the winning contestants.

In another embodiment, the preceding contest can be modified such thatcontestants that correctly answer portions of the sequence are awardedsmaller prizes. For example, without limitation, if a contestant were toget only the first three digits of an eight-digit sequence correct, hemay be awarded a prize equivalent to one tenth of the prize for gettingthe entire sequence correct.

In another alternate embodiment, contestants may engage in tournamentplay. In the present embodiment, the number of contestants is limited toa fixed number and only those limited contestants may compete for theprize money awarded by calculating the solution to the mathematicalproblem. The computational difficulty of the problem is established atthe beginning of the contest by the operators to set a selecteddifficulty level for the contest. For example, without limitation, acontest may be held with a limit of 1000 contestants at a time with acomputational difficulty of one day for solving the equation using aknown method. The first contestant to solve the equation wins the entireprize amount.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of an exemplarycontest where the mathematical equation is a cryptographic algorithm inwhich the solution is an encoded string of letters and numbers, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the presentembodiment, the contestants are provided with an encrypted string andasked to determine the original plain text version of the string using acryptographic solver. The solution to this problem is a series ofletters and numbers of a finite length. Contestants are challenged touse provided software or their own tools to determine the original cleartext message. The first person to compute the solution to the problem isawarded the prize. For example, without limitation, the word ticket maybe encoded utilizing a DES encryption algorithm and contestants may beasked to determine the original word based on the encryption string.Utilizing a decryption algorithm, contestants can solve the problem in afixed amount of time utilizing a computer. The operators of the contestcan adjust the difficulty of the challenge by adjusting the length ofthe encryption key used to encode the original word or phrase. Entrytickets for this type of contest consist of a fixed area for writing inthe clear text message solved from the encoded text message placed onthe front.

The present embodiment begins at step 1101 where the operators of thecontest select the duration of the contest. Then in step 1105, theoperators select a cryptographic key, and in step 1110, the operatorsselect a clear text answer. In step 1115, the clear text answer isencoded, and in step 1120, a cryptographic cipher is generated. Then thecontest and the cipher are announced in step 1125. Contestants thenenter the contest in step 1130 and compute the clear text answer in step1135. Instep 1140, the operators of the contest decide if it is time tocheck for winners. If it is not time to check for winners, the processreturns to step 1130 so that more contestants may enter. If it is timeto check for winners, the operators check for winners in step 1145. Ifthere are no winners, the operators announce that there are no winnersin step 1150, and the process returns to step 1130 so more contestantsmay enter. If there are winners, the operators stop the contest andannounce the winners in step 1155. The winners are paid in step 1160. Instep 1165 a new contest is started, and the process returns to step1101.

In alternate embodiments the mathematical equation can be altered inorder to change the difficulty of the contest and to reduce thepossibility of cheating. The following non-limiting examples are some ofthe mathematical equations that may be used as problems to be solved.The mathematical problem to be solved can be to determine the xth digitof a specific irrational number that is a square root of a rationalnumber. In another example, the mathematical problem to be solved can beto determine the xth digit of a specific irrational number specified viaa simple mathematical function. In another example, The mathematicalproblem to be solved can be to determine the xth digit in the sequenceof digits generated from a Linear Feedback Shift Register defined overGF(2̂n) where n can range from values 63 to 128 or higher if necessary.In another example, The mathematical problem to be solved can be todetermine the xth digit in the sequence of digits generated from aNon-Linear Feedback Shift Register defined over GF(2̂n) where n can rangefrom values 63 to 128 or higher if necessary. In another example, Themathematical problem to be solved can be to determine the xth digit ofthe smallest prime number from the factorization of the product of twoprimes. The previous are merely a listing of a few of the possibleequations that can be used. Any computationally challenging mathematicalequation that produces a string of digits as its evaluation can be usedas the question to be answered in a contest.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process of theparticipation of a contestant in a non-random numeric contest, accordingto an embodiment of the present invention. In the present example, thecontestant reads the rules of the contest in step 1201, and, in step1205, the contestant decides if he will enter the contest. If thecontestant decides not to enter the contest, the process ends at step1210. If the contestant decides to enter the contest, the contestantpurchases a ticket in step 1215. Then, in step 1220, the contestantreads the challenge on the ticket.

The contestant then attempts to solve the challenge in step 1225. Insome embodiments a method for solving the problem may be provided by thecontest operators. The contestant determines if there is a methodprovided for solving the problem in step 1230. If there is no providedmethod for solving challenge, the contestant uses his own method forsolving the challenge in step 1235 to reach a solution in step 1250. Ifthere is a provided method for solving the problem, the contestantdownloads the software for the method in step 1240. In alternateembodiments, the method may be purchased as software that is installedonto the contestant's computer, or this software may be included withthe contest ticket at no cost. In the present embodiment, the providedsoftware is used to solve the challenge in step 1245. The amount of timerequired to solve the challenge varies from contest to contest dependingon the difficulty of the challenge. In the present example, thecontestant solved the challenge in four days to come to a solution instep 1250.

Using the solution found in step 1250, the contestant scratches off theanswer on the ticket in step 1255 and determines if this answer iscorrect in step 1260. If the answer is not correct, the contestantdiscards the ticket in step 1265. If the answer is correct, thecontestant submits the ticket to the contest operator in step 1270. Theoperator determines if the ticket is expired in step 1275. If the ticketis expired, the contestant is not paid and the ticket is collected instep 1280. If the ticket has not expired, the operator determines if theanswer is correct in step 1285. If the answer is not correct, the ticketis collected in step 1290 and the contestant is not paid. If the answeris correct, the operator collects the ticket and pays the contestant instep 1295.

In an alternative embodiment, contestants are prompted for their age andthen asked to calculate that many digits of a specific mathematicalequation.

In yet another embodiment, contestants are prompted for the number ofdigits in their closest friends name and then prompted to calculate thatspecific digit of a specific irrational number.

In still another embodiment, contestants are prompted to submit theirname and then multiple contestants could attempt to find the digit thatmatches its length in the same puzzle. In this contest embodiment thefirst contestant to compute the index wins the contest.

It should be appreciated that unlike games of chance like lottery games,raffles, sweepstakes, craps, sports wagering, and the like, theforegoing embodiments have described a multiplicity of novel approachesto provide a game play based on a completely deterministicquestion/valid answer approach that involves no degree of chance indetermining a valid answer. It should be appreciated that those skilledin the art, however, may recognize opportunities to introduceconventional random game play aspects in useful combination with thedeterministic game play approach illustrated by way of example in theforegoing embodiments. For example, without limitation, somecontemplated alternate embodiments which include some degree ofrandomness include embodiments where contestants may scratch off arandomly chosen initial digit to determine which of three equationsneeds to be solved; and, contestants may scratch off a randomly chosenamplifier digit that multiplies or reduces their prize payout; and,contestants may scratch off a randomly chosen expiration date that maylengthen or shorten the time that they have to solve the particularproblem associated with the ticket; and, in on-line games contestantsmay select an option to choose at another contestants answer to the samequestion at random. Thus accepting the same fate as another contestantin terms of winning or losing; and, in on-line games contestants mayselect to look at up to three other random contestants answers each timelowering their potential pay-out by some percentage amount; and, inon-line games contestants may select hints of which digit is anincorrect answer at the price of lowering their payout by a fixedpercentage for each hint received; and, a two part contest could beoperated where the contestant must solve two puzzles. The solution digitof the first puzzle selects the second puzzle to be solved. They mustsolve both puzzles correctly to win a prize; and, a two part contestwhere the solution to the first puzzle answer is multiplied by a randomfactor and a second puzzle is selected from this new random digit forsolution. The contestant must answer both puzzles correctly to win. In asimple variant on this the contestant can select the random multiplierhimself. They must select a multiplier other than the digit one.

FIG. 13 illustrates a typical computer system that, when appropriatelyconfigured or designed, can serve as a computer system in which theinvention may be embodied. The computer system 1300 includes any numberof processors 1302 (also referred to as central processing units, orCPUs) that are coupled to storage devices including primary storage 1306(typically a random access memory, or RAM), primary storage 1304(typically a read only memory, or ROM). CPU 1302 may be of various typesincluding microcontrollers (e.g., with embedded RAM/ROM) andmicroprocessors such as programmable devices (e.g., RISC or SISC based,or CPLDs and FPGAs) and unprogrammable devices such as gate array ASICsor general purpose microprocessors. As is well known in the art, primarystorage 1304 acts to transfer data and instructions uni-directionally tothe CPU and primary storage 1306 is used typically to transfer data andinstructions in a bi-directional manner. Both of these primary storagedevices may include any suitable computer-readable media such as thosedescribed above. A mass storage device 1308 may also be coupledbi-directionally to CPU 1302 and provides additional data storagecapacity and may include any of the computer-readable media describedabove. Mass storage device 1308 may be used to store programs, data andthe like and is typically a secondary storage medium such as a harddisk. It will be appreciated that the information retained within themass storage device 1308, may, in appropriate cases, be incorporated instandard fashion as part of primary storage 1306 as virtual memory. Aspecific mass storage device such as a CD-ROM 1314 may also pass datauni-directionally to the CPU.

CPU 1302 may also be coupled to an interface 1310 that connects to oneor more input/output devices such as such as video monitors, trackballs, mice, keyboards, microphones, touch-sensitive displays,transducer card readers, magnetic or paper tape readers, tablets,styluses, voice or handwriting recognizers, or other well-known inputdevices such as, of course, other computers. Finally, CPU 1302optionally may be coupled to an external device such as a database or acomputer or telecommunications or internet network using an externalconnection as shown generally at 1312, which may be implemented as ahardwired or wireless communications link using suitable conventionaltechnologies. With such a connection, it is contemplated that the CPUmight receive information from the network, or might output informationto the network in the course of performing the method steps described inthe teachings of the present invention.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognize, in accordance with theteachings of the present invention, that any of the foregoing stepsand/or system modules may be suitably replaced, reordered, removed andadditional steps and/or system modules may be inserted depending uponthe needs of the particular application, and that the systems of theforegoing embodiments may be implemented using any of a wide variety ofsuitable processes and system modules, and is not limited to anyparticular computer hardware, software, middleware, firmware, microcodeand the like.

Any claim elements and steps herein that have been numbered and/orlettered are done so solely as an aid in readability and understanding.As such, the numbering and lettering in itself is not intended to andshould not be taken to indicate the ordering of elements and/or steps inthe claims.

It will be further apparent to those skilled in the art that at least aportion of the novel method steps and/or system components of thepresent invention may be practiced and/or located in location(s)possibly outside the jurisdiction of the United States of America (USA),whereby it will be accordingly readily recognized that at least a subsetof the novel method steps and/or system components in the foregoingembodiments must be practiced within the jurisdiction of the USA for thebenefit of an entity therein or to achieve an object of the presentinvention. Thus, some alternate embodiments of the present invention maybe configured to comprise a smaller subset of the foregoing novel meansfor and/or steps described that the applications designer willselectively decide, depending upon the practical considerations of theparticular implementation, to carry out and/or locate within thejurisdiction of the USA. For any claims construction of the followingclaims that are construed under 35 USC §112(6) it is intended that thecorresponding means for and/or steps for carrying out the claimedfunction also include those embodiments, and equivalents, ascontemplated above that implement at least some novel aspects andobjects of the present invention in the jurisdiction of the USA. Forexample, the determining and/or generating of the questions to be asked,and the storing of questions and answers may be performed and/or locatedoutside of the jurisdiction of the USA while the remaining method stepsand/or system components of the forgoing embodiments are typicallyrequired to be located/performed in the US for practical considerations.

Having fully described at least one embodiment of the present invention,other equivalent or alternative means for implementing a method forusing the solution to computationally difficult mathematical equationsto determine the winners of numeric contests according to the presentinvention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Many of thesteps described in accordance with the exemplary figures may beperformed in various different orders to achieve the same result. Forexample, without limitation, in FIG. 12, the contestant may decide toparticipate in the contest, step 1205 before he reads the rules of thecontest step 1201. Also various types of tickets may be used indifferent embodiments such as, but not limited to, non-scratch offtickets, or tickets where a portion of the ticket can be removed toreveal whether the contestant won on a lower layer. The invention hasbeen described above by way of illustration, and the specificembodiments disclosed are not intended to limit the invention to theparticular forms disclosed. The invention is thus to cover allmodifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spiritand scope of the following claims.

1. A gaming method for a contest, the method comprising the steps of:generating at least one or more mathematical problems to be solved bycontestants; providing an announcement of the contest to potentialcontestants; providing instructions comprising said at least one or moremathematical problems and rules of play for the contest to participatingcontestants; determining, after a predetermined period of time, if oneor more participating contestants has correctly solved said problem andis a winner; continuing to provide said at least one or moremathematical problems and rules of play for the contest in the absenceof said winner; and stopping the contest when one or more winners aredetermined.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising thestep of distributing a prize to said one or more winners.
 3. The methodas recited in claim 1, in which said predetermined period of time isdetermined in part by a difficulty of solving said mathematical problem.4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step ofproviding a means for solving said at least one or more mathematicalproblems to said participating contestants.
 5. The method as recited inclaim 1, further comprising the step of including a random factor insaid instructions for modifying the playing of the contest.
 6. Themethod as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of including arandom choice for said participating contestants.
 7. The method asrecited in claim 6, in which said random choice determines a one of saidmathematical problems said participating contestant is to solve.
 8. Themethod as recited in claim 6, in which said random choice, in part,determines a value of said prize.
 9. The method as recited in claim 1,in which said instructions are in part provided by a contest ticket. 10.The method as recited in claim 9, in which said step of determiningincludes examining contest tickets entered by participating contestants.11. The method as recited in claim 1, further including the step ofselecting a duration for the contest.
 12. The method as recited in claim11, in which said duration is included with said instructions.
 13. Themethod as recited in claim 11, in which said duration is in partselected by the complexity of said mathematical problem.
 14. The methodas recited in claim 1, in which said at least one or more mathematicalproblems is a cryptographic algorithm and said generating comprisesencoding a clear text message.
 15. A gaming method for a contest, thesystem comprising: a steps for generating one or more mathematical typeproblems; a steps for announcing the contest to potential contestants; asteps for providing said one or more mathematical problems and rules ofplay to participating contestants; a steps for determining, after apredetermined period of time, if one or more participating contestantshas correctly solved said problem and is a winner; a steps forcontinuing to provide said problem and rules in the absence of saidwinner; a steps for stopping the contest when one or more winners aredetermined; and a steps for distributing a prize to said one or morewinners.
 16. The system as recited in claim 15, further comprising asteps for including a random factor.
 17. The system as recited in claim15, further comprising steps for providing a means for solving said oneor more mathematical problems to said participating contestants.
 18. Thesystem as recited in claim 15, further comprising steps for selecting aduration for the contest.
 19. The system as recited in claim 18, furthercomprising steps for providing said duration to said participatingcontestants.
 20. A method for generating a contest, the methodcomprising the steps of: creating a plurality of mathematical problemsto be solved; obtaining a predetermined number of contest tickets foreach of said mathematical problems, said contest tickets being shuffledand divided into a predetermined number of lots; and distributing saidlots for purchase by potential contestants.
 21. A system for generatinga contest comprising: a means for creating a plurality of mathematicalproblems to be solved; a means for generating a predetermined number ofcontest tickets for each of said mathematical problems; a means forcombining, shuffling and dividing said contest tickets into apredetermined number of lots; and a means for distributing said lots forpurchase by potential contestants.
 22. A process for participating in acontest, the process comprising the steps of: obtaining a contest entry;solving at least one mathematical problem presented on said contestentry; displaying on said contest entry if a solution of saidmathematical problem is correct; and submitting said contest entry forverification if said solution is correct.
 23. The process as recited inclaim 22, further comprising the step of determining if a means forsolving said mathematical problem is provided by the contest and usingsaid method in solving said mathematical problem.
 24. The process asrecited in claim 23, in which said step of determining further comprisesobtaining said method.
 25. The process as recited in claim 24, in whichsaid obtaining of said method is accomplished in part using a computerconnection.
 26. The process as recited in claim 24, in which saidobtaining of said method is accomplished by purchase.
 27. The process asrecited in claim 22, further comprising the step of choosing a randomfactor provided with said contest entry.
 28. The process as recited inclaim 22, further comprising using a random factor for effecting theplay of the contest.
 29. The process as recited in claim 22, in whichsaid contest entry is obtained by purchase of a contest ticket.
 30. Asystem for participating in a contest, the system comprising: a meansfor obtaining a contest entry; a means for solving at least onemathematical problem presented on said contest entry; a means fordisplaying on said contest entry if a solution of said mathematicalproblem is correct; and a means for submitting said contest entry forverification if said solution is correct.
 31. The system as recited inclaim 30, further comprising a means for obtaining a method for solvingsaid at least one mathematical problem.
 32. The system as recited inclaim 30, further comprising a means for providing a random factor. 33.A contest ticket for a deterministic game play, the ticket comprising: afirst side comprising indicia providing instructions with at least onemathematical problem to be solved; and a second side comprising indiciaproviding a plurality of solutions to said mathematical problemincluding at least one correct solution to said mathematical problem anda means for indicating said one correct solution when said one correctsolution is selected. The ticket as recited in claim 33, in which saidplurality of solutions are arranged in a gird.
 34. The ticket as recitedin claim 33, in which a one of or both of said first side and saidsecond side includes a random factor.
 35. The ticket as recited in claim33, in which said random factor is selectable.
 36. The ticket as recitedin claim 33, further comprising a method for solving said at least onemathematical problem.